Back in December 2022, John Axford had a heartfelt post indicating his desire to return to baseball by pitching for Team Canada in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Today, WBC rosters were announced and Axford was listed as a member. It appears that he will complete an epic comeback to baseball after undergoing Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career, with the most recent surgery occurring in his late 30’s.
John Axford will represent Team Canada in the 2023 WBC
Axford, who turns 40 years old in April, last pitched in a professional baseball game for the Brewers in August of 2021. Milwaukee re-acquired him through a trade with the Blue Jays. During his first outing, he ended up injuring his elbow that required surgical intervention.
From 2009 to 2012, Axford had a great run with the Brewers where he accumulated 106 saves, currently the third most saves on the franchise leaderboard. To see his name officially on Team Canada’s roster is incredible and hopefully he performs well during the 2023 WBC.
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